


Nightmare Haze

by LizzardLady



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, In all my dreams I drown, One Shot, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-30 02:00:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18305894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizzardLady/pseuds/LizzardLady
Summary: Feng Min craves the soft feel of a bed again, and when Herman offers her just that, she jumps at the opportunity.





	Nightmare Haze

**Author's Note:**

> credit to beano for being a good friend
> 
> also i cant remember if i edited this or not so here u go

The Nightmare was a silent place. Sure, the others around the campfire could get rowdy at times, and sure, there was the imposing doom of the trials looming over their heads; that didn't eliminate the quiet, however, when you strayed far enough from the chaos. There wasn't much to do outside of trials, other than sit around with her fellows and be forced to interact with them. Feng Min had managed to avoid that, though, for the most part, excluding the few times she'd been roped into silly discussions by Quentin. When they weren't at the fire, they were out scavenging for items, and when they weren't doing that, either, they usually slept.

Sleeping in the Entity's realm was nothing like sleeping in the 'real world’. You didn't dream, not really, and when you did it was purely related to the Nightmare. It was a weird state to be in, especially when you received items and special abilities from simply _existing_ in said state. Sometimes, she'd lie down intending to pass time, and wake you with a toolbox, a flashlight, and a random item she'd end up throwing into the campfire later. Newbies, when they got them, always called it disorienting; Feng Min couldn't blame them, since she'd thought exactly that the first time she'd experienced it. Now, it was just another blank activity, something they all experienced and grew desensitized to. She missed dreaming terribly; missed the exhilaration and childish wonder that they always brought the morning after.

When the Doctor had offered her just that, Feng Min expeditiously jumped at the chance.

Her meetings with Doctor Herman Carter had started back when she was still quite new. Now, one might find it a little strange to regularly seek out those who have been murdering you repeatedly and without fail. While that was the case for some, it wasn't for others. Claudette had figured out ages ago that not all of the killers killed outside of trials. Rather, they were just trying to sooth their boredom as much as the survivors were, and it turned out they would gladly pass the time with them when given the chance. Not all of the their enemies were friendly, though, and they'd learned that the hard way. One dreary group expedition had led them directly to the chapel, home to one of Feng Min's least favorite killers.

Inhabiting the crumbling building and the domain surrounding it was the one they called the Clown. Herman had told her his name once; Jeffery? Kenneth? It was one of those two, or maybe both. She didn't really care to remember. The Clown had this terrible aura of something disturbing about him. Whether that was due to the decaying fingers dangling from his belt or his gross, unbecoming laughter was lost to her. None of them really cared about that, though; what they _did_ care about was how utterly unfriendly he was. They stumbled into his little circus, expecting to be greeted and possibly turned away, but instead one of them had been brutally killed on the spot. After that, they did their best to avoid him outside of trials.

Most of the killers were alright, though, once you got to know them. Philip—that is, the Wraith—didn’t really talk, but he was content with just listening and enjoyed the company, it would seem. Anna—the Huntress—was almost labelled as hostile as the Clown was, except for the fact that Meg had managed to befriend her. The athlete was the only one that could, although not even she was sure why. Feng Min could go on and list all of the killers, but no one really had time for that, did they?

Herman Carter—that is, the Doctor—was one of the killers they'd never dreamed of approaching. He was a monster in trials, worms of electricity pouring out of his every being and into their heads in the form of blinding static. His hollow breaths accompanied by crazed tittering made for a terrifying foe, especially when his power caused hallucinations and easy fuck-ups. Outside of trials, he—well, he was exactly the same way, just a little more composed while he hunted them down. The only reason Feng Min ever even got the chance to meet up with him was because she could _hear_ him. It was a strange way to communicate; telepathy, except, it sounded like a radio wave transmitted straight into her conscious. She was unique in that only she experienced this, and that intrigued the Doctor.

Thus began the experiments and the studies, and you might think, wouldn't you mind getting poked and prodded for information and results? Feng Min found that she didn't; while Herman didn't care much to make sure she was comfortable, he never hurt her. Having somewhere to go gave her something to do outside of trials, and she found it interesting, even if Herman found information she found unsavory. It was also fun to mess with him, as dangerous as that might sound, but she didn't mind the risk of dying. She already died during the Entity's games, anyway.

Feng Min readily hopped into the bed Herman had chosen after he'd told her about dream studies. She had no clue how he'd induce her to actually dream, but the offer was there, and there was no way she'd reject it. He'd hooked her up with electrodes and plugged her right into himself; it was strange, but she wasn't surprised. The Doctor touched his rough hands to the sides of her head, warned her, [This might hurt], and administered a shock straight to her brain. It knocked her out almost instantly, and while she couldn't say it was painless, it barely mattered anyway. It was nothing like the excruciating pain of the static during his trials.

She didn’t dream, not at first. It was the usual, soul-crushing darkness that hovered in their minds until they woke; until the first spark of color formed. Beautifully, the spark created a splash of color, creating a world around Feng Min that she never thought she would see again. The _real_ world, taunting her with the fakeness of it all, with the utter fact that she probably wouldn’t really see it again. Carefully, the space around her changed until she was sitting in front of her computer monitor, its bright screen boasting the comments on a forum. Her oily eyes narrowed at it; she didn’t want to see this, not again. It was already terrible the first time.

Only, she didn’t really have a choice when those jabs and labels swirled around her like a whirlpool.

Harsh ridicule wrapped around her like a spider’s web, squeezing her, _choking_ her. Words poured down her throat, filled her lungs like coffee filled a mug. She tried to call out, tried to cough up the insults clogging her breath, but to no avail. Agony throbbed in her chest, screaming and clawing for air as she fell to the ground in a weak heap. Her hands reached for something, _anything_ , desperate to be helped and rescued from this nightmare. _Nightmare_. She was supposed to be _dreaming_ , supposed to be enjoying herself with this one self-indulgent thing. Clamping her eyes shut, she clutched at her chest, the fabric of her shirt tensing around her fingers.

 _Drowning_.

When her next gasp brought air into her aching lungs, she cautiously opened her onyx gaze. Feng Min was in a new place now, tucked away in the back of a bar somewhere. She didn’t particularly recognize it; it seemed to be a conglomeration of all the bars she’d ever been to, different features shoved together to make something that looked somewhat real. There was a glass placed in front of her, condensation running down its sides faster than what was considered normal. Normal was something she was far past, so she picked up the drink, watching ice and poison mingle together as it shifted.

The gamer brought the cup to her lips, head tipping back to accommodate the steady stream of alcohol. It tasted bitter on her long, burning her throat and upsetting her stomach as it settled. Only, it barely made it past her mouth before snaking directly into her airflow. Liquid death snatched her breath away, an endless river coursing through her chest. Her heart _hurt_ , the lack of oxygen too much the second time around, and for a moment, she felt like it would burst.

 _Drowning_.

Finding herself at the shore of a pond was the last thing she’d wanted. Just seeing the water made her want to run, its clear surface reflecting the unadulterated terror and trauma on her face. This was all getting to her, so, so terribly. When she got pushed, she barely had the time to react, frozen with fear as her body was enveloped by the freezing blue. It dragged her down, constricting her arms and legs the deeper and deeper she fell. The cold bit at her skins, stinging her eyes, numbing her senses. All she could do was let go as the water wiggled its way in to her very soul, stealing the last drop of safety she’d thought she’d had away from her.

 _Drowning_.

Waking up in the Entity’s realm, with those electrodes grasping at her pale skin, was one of the most petrifying things she’d experienced since getting dragged there. After witnessing those nightmares one after the other, she wanted _comfort_ , not medical equipment and flickering static. Herman was staring at her, his bulging eyes staring into her own as she awoke. It took all she had not to rip the padded wires off of herself, took all she had not to beg for comfort from someone who didn’t know how to. In a way, it was sad to see the state she was in, to see the way she’d gone from excited to frightened within the blink of an eye.

Trembling, Feng Min uttered shakily, “I never want to dream again.”


End file.
